There are few things worse than coming back to your car after a day of working or sightseeing to find a ticket waiting for you. You might get a ticket for being too far away from the curb, running out of time on the meter or parking too close to an entrance. Before you reach for your wallet and send in payment though, you need to make sure that ticket is real. Several scam companies now send out tickets and make money for those who pay the fines listed, but you can avoid falling victim to one of those scams.

public domain pic from May 4 1916

Sign Up for Scam Alerts

Whether traveling to a new city for a little fun or heading downtown for work, sign up for scam alerts. These alerts send you emails and text messages to tell you about some of the current scams running. You can learn what to do if you encounter a scammer and where you can report that person. Scam alerts are especially helpful for those traveling to new destinations because you can stay on top of fake tickets and other scams to save some money.

Call the Police Station

Tickets issued by the local police department tend to look and feel real. It should have the seal of the city on the front, list the exact infraction you committed and tell you how you can pay off your ticket. If the ticket uses standard paper, doesn’t have a seal or just doesn’t look official, you can call the police station for help. Officers working for the department may suggest that you bring the ticket in for an inspection. An officer can also search the department records for your name and let you know if you received a ticket.

Report Emails

A common scam making its way around the web today comes from a company called UK Parking Control, which sends out thousands of emails that claim drivers and vehicle owners received tickets for parking infractions. Many people pay those fines without thinking twice. Not only do they lose money, but links inside those virtual tickets can also download malware onto their computers. If you get an email that says you committed an infraction and need to pay a fine, report it to the authorities before paying. The smarter you are, the easier you can determine if a parking ticket is authentic.

Author: Lolita Di

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Guest Author - Outside contributors to the Dispatch are always welcome to offer their unique voices, contradictory opinions or presentation of information not included on the site.